Method and system for assessing the trip performance of a driver

1. Method for automatically assessing performance of a driver of a current vehicle for a particular current trip, wherein updated current-trip driving data sets are repeatedly read from the vehicle, which current-trip driving data sets each comprises data from at least a predetermined set of basic driving data parameters, wherein new such current-trip driving data sets are read from the vehicle at consecutive observation time points separated by at the most a predetermined observation time period, wherein the method comprises the steps of a) collecting previous-trip driving data sets, each observed at a respective one of a plurality of different observation time points, for a plurality of different previous trips made by a plurality of different drivers and a plurality of different vehicles, which previous-trip driving data sets each comprises parameter values for at least a certain predetermined set of qualified driving data parameters in turn comprising the said basic parameter set and in particular instantaneous vehicle energy consumption, and which parameter values are each read either as a respective instantaneous value or a respective average value read across a certain respective time period of at the most 5 seconds of length; b) grouping said previous-trip driving data sets into basic historic groups of such sets, said grouping being based upon a basic driving data set similarity measure; c) for each of said current-trip driving data sets, mapping the current-trip driving data set in question to at the most one particular of said basic historic groups, based upon a basic group conformity measure between a driving data set and a basic historic group; and d) calculating a first energy consumption-based trip performance parameter value for the current trip based upon a respective energy consumption-based group performance parameter value for each of the said mapped basic historic groups, which group performance parameter value in turn is calculated based upon the respective instantaneous energy consumption value in the respective previous-trip driving data sets in the basic historic group in question.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said basic similarity measure is arranged to classify driving data sets into one of a plurality of different predetermined basic historic groups based upon conformance of the respective basic parameter values comprised in the driving data set in question to respective allowed parameter value ranges for each of said parameters.

3. Method according to claim 2 , wherein said basic conformity measure is arranged to classify driving data sets into one of said plurality of different predetermined basic historic groups based upon conformance of the respective basic parameter values comprised in the driving data set in question to respective allowed parameter value ranges for each of said parameters.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the said group performance parameter is a relative instantaneous energy consumption value for the respective previous-trip driving data sets in the basic historic group in question, which relative value is calculated in relation to a total energy consumption for the complete trip during which the previous-trip driving data set in question was observed.

5. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the said first trip performance parameter is calculated based upon an average value of said relative instantaneous energy consumption values for said mapped respective basic historic groups.

6. Method according to claim 4 , wherein the said basic parameter set comprises instantaneous vehicle velocity, wherein the method further comprises a step in which, for said basic historic groups, a characteristic vehicle relative energy consumption function is calculated regarding the value of said group performance parameter for different vehicle velocity parameter values, and wherein the first trip performance parameter value is further calculated based upon a weighting of said group performance parameter values using said characteristic vehicle relative energy consumption function.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined observation time period is at the most 10 seconds, preferably at the most 5 seconds, more preferably at the most 2 seconds.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein parameter values of said basic parameter set are automatically recorded by the vehicle and either communicated to a portable electronic device arranged at the vehicle, which portable electronic device communicates, via a wireless link, said parameter values to a central server, or communicated, via a wireless link, directly from the vehicle to said central server.

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the said trip performance parameter value is calculated by and communicated, via a wireless link, from a central server to the vehicle, such as to a portable electronic device arranged at the vehicle, and presented to the driver.

10. Method according claim 9 , wherein a value of the trip performance parameter is calculated repeatedly, preferably at least every 10 minutes, more preferably at least every 2 minutes, more preferably at least every 30 seconds, during the current trip, wherein the current trip is considered to be the current trip up to the moment at which the value of the trip performance parameter is calculated and for the purposes of calculating the trip performance parameter value in question, and wherein the currently calculated such value is communicated to the vehicle and presented to the driver upon calculation.

11. System for automatically assessing performance of a driver of a current vehicle for a particular current trip, which system is arranged to read updated current-trip driving data sets repeatedly from the vehicle, which current-trip driving data sets each comprises data from at least a predetermined set of basic driving data parameters, wherein the system is arranged to read new such current-trip driving data sets from the vehicle at consecutive observation time points separated by at the most a predetermined observation time period, wherein the system comprises a server arranged to collect previous-trip driving data sets, each observed at a respective one of a plurality of different observation time points, for a plurality of different previous trips made by a plurality of different drivers and a plurality of different vehicles, which previous-trip driving data sets each comprises parameter values for at least a certain predetermined set of qualified driving data parameters in turn comprising the said basic parameter set and in particular instantaneous vehicle energy consumption, and which parameter values are each read either as a respective instantaneous value or a respective average value read across a certain respective time period of at the most 5 seconds of length, wherein the server is arranged to group said previous-trip driving data sets into basic historic groups of such sets, said grouping being based upon a basic driving data set similarity measure, wherein the system is arranged, for each of said current-trip driving data sets, to map the current-trip driving data set in question to at the most one particular of said basic historic groups, based upon a basic group conformity measure between a driving data set and a basic historic group, and wherein the server is arranged to calculate a first energy consumption-based trip performance parameter value for the current trip based upon a respective energy consumption-based group performance parameter value for each of the said mapped basic historic groups, which group performance parameter value in turn is calculated based upon the respective instantaneous energy consumption value in the respective previous-trip driving data sets in the basic historic group in question.